Control head packer



Nov. 11, 194?. R. G. TAYLOR, JR, ET AL 2,430,623

CONTROL HEAD PACKER Filed March 19, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 RAYMOND a MYZOR, JR.

Nov. 11, 1947. R. G. TAYLOR, JR., ET AL 2,430,623

GONTROLHEAD PACKER Filed March 19, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. RAYMOND G. [4710K JR.

BY DOA/A40 5. H0062 Patented Nov. 11, 1947 CONTROL HEAD PACKER Raymond G. Taylor, Jr;, and Donald B; Hooser,

Dallas, Te'x;, assignors to The Guiberson Corporation, Dallas,.Tex., aicorporation of Delaware f Application March 19, 1942; Serial No. 435,336.

8 Claims. (01. 166-12) 1 This invention relates to a control head packer having a port connecting the interior of the tubing with the exterior thereof, and a packing ring designed to open or close the said port;

Another object of the invention is to provide means to prevent the packing ring from flowing into the said port. Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved packer having means to prevent the packing ring from cold flowing.

In packers having no control valve or other means of by-passing the well fluid, the well fluid accumulates above the packer, audit was frequently. diflicult to recover the packenwithout" ruining it. This, of course, was particularly true when solid rubber packing'wa's used. The'greater the weight of the well fluid above the packer, the more tightly .the said fluid will tend to keep the packing. set. Also, rubber tends to be permanently deformed with the passage of time. When the-packer has a great weight imposed upon it and especially when it has been set for a long time, the rubbers are frequently. torn when the tubing is pulled, thereby ruiningthe rubber; It

is an object of this invention to overcome'the" above diificulties.

Another object of. the invention is to provide a cup-shaped lower packing to provide a lip which will be forced outwardly, against the casing by any well fluid which may expand said lip. The

upper packing ring of the packer is provided with an oppositely .facing or downwardly extending lip which wouldbe actuated into sealing engagementwith the casingby any gas or liquid which tendedto pass upwardly by the packer. It is well knownthat when such lips are used, the sealing engagement increases as the pressures increase, thatis, the pressures act. within the lip and tend to expand.it..

In! our improved construction thev tubing and theipacker. are lowered in the casingwith the well ifluidsiby-passing between the packer and casing... At any desired point theoperator can set the packer,.and after -it.is .set and assuming that there is a sufficient weight. of fluid above the packer to hold the packer: in. setposition, the operatormay open the port leading. from theexterio -of. thetubing. to. theinterior. thereof by 2 1 port above the upper end of'the said packing. The invention may be better understood by referring to the attached drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a plan elevational View, partly in "cross section, of our improved control head packer, th parts being in the position in whichthey would be'when lowering the'tubi'ng in the well,

Figure 2 is a view similar'to Figure 1 but showing the parts inset position;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the ports open, the packing in expanded position and the slips retracted from engagement with the casing.

Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 are cross-sectional-views on the lines 4--4,-55, 6-*'-6, and ll respectively of Figure *1, and

Figure 8 is a perspective view'of one of thereinforcing means in the packing.

In the drawings the tubing I is inserted in the casing 2 which 'extends'to a point near the bottom of the-well. The tubing I is connected to the mandrel 3 by means of a collar t provided with a shoulder 5. The mandrel 3 is provided with a recovery collar 6. A collar 1 is secured to the lower end of the mandrel 3, and the tubing 1 extends below'the collar 7. The mandrel 3 is also provided with a gudgeon pin 8 which extends within a J-slot 9 in a cage l0 which isprovided with'the usual friction springs ll, adapted to engage the well casing 2." The :cage l0 is-positioned above the collar 1.'

A slip cone I2 is provided with a shoulder l3 underlying and supporting the lowermost packing 14. Above the packing I4 is an intermediate packing I5, and an upper packing I6 is provided above the intermediate packing l5 and, when the parts are in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, the upper portion of the packing l6 engages the said shoulder 5 "of the collar 4. Th slip cone I2 is provided witha shoulder IT to engage the recovery shoulder fi and to limit the downward movement'of the slip cone while permitting the slip cone to move upwardly relative to the recovery ring 6 or into the position shown inFigure 2. The slip cone I2 is providedwith the usual slips I 8 which are connected to the cage simply raising theetubingh Of course,-.the said.-

port will'remain closed until the packer is set andwill' remain closed after it is set, unless we havev both. the; condition that'the downwardlyex-" tendingpressure on the" packer is suflicient to maintaindt-in' set position, andthat'the tubingis raised byan amount sufficient to'raise the said I I] by means of the reins IS. The slips 1 8 ar provided with the usual teeth 20.

Thelower packing l4 hasimbedded therein a ring 2! provided with eyesi22 into which are hooked the prongs 23 of the wires 24. It will be noted that these wires are held in the eyes 22, and the'lower end of the wires issupported by the shoulder l3 while-themid portion of the wires The mid packing I5 is provided with a-ring 25, V

which ring is provided with holes 26. 'The ring 25 is molded in the packing l5 and the packing material extends through the holes 26 to make a better bond therewith. The rin 25 tends to pull the packing towards the mandrel when the load on the packer is released. The upper pack-' ing [6 is provided with a downwardly extending lip-21, and the lower packing is provided with an upwardly extending lip 28. It will be noted that the upper portion of the packing l5 and the lower portion of the packing l6 are hollowed out forming a chamber 29,- and the lower portion of the packing l5 and the upper portion of the packing l4 also provide a chamber 30. The lips 21 and 28 efiectively seal these chambers against leakage between the said lips and the mandrelS.

The mandrel 3 is provided with four holes 3!. When the parts are in the positionshown in Figures 1 and 2, the ring. coversthese holes 3i, but when the parts are in the position shown in Figure 3, the holes 3] communicate with the interior of the mandrel and the space between the tubing and casing above the packer.

In operation the parts are in the position shown in Figure 1 when the packer is being lowered in the casing. As the packer is lowered, the well fluid can pass between the packer and the casing, for there is amplespace forming a passageway therefor, as is shown in Figure 1. When the operator has lowered the packer to the position where he desires to set the same, he rotates the tubing l and mandrel 3 to the right, as viewed in Figure 1,-so as to remove the gudgeon 8 .into the long arm of the J-slot 9. He then lowers the tubing so that the gudgeon pin 8 travels downwardly in the slot 9 and the springs ll hold the cage 10 stationary. The slip cone 52 moves downwardly with the tubing, and the slips l8 are moved outwardly into engagement with the easing. Further downward movement of the tubing and mandrel will causethe. recovery shoulder 6 to move away from the shoulder I! of the slip cone, and the shoulder. 5 will compress the Packings so. that the parts are moved into the positionshownin Figurei2, the ports 3| being closed during this entire period of time. ,When the parts are in the position shown in Figure 2, there might be some tendency for theupper packing to flow into the holes 3|, but this is prevented by the ring 2L. It will also'be noted that the wires 24 prevent the upper packing from flowing upwardly around the shoulder 5 and prevent the lower packingfromrflowing downwardly by the shoulder l3. When the packer has been set and assumingthat there was an excessive downward pressure of well fluid, some of the said well fluid would pass into the chambers: 29 and 30 and would tend to expand the outer skirt 32 of the packing ring l4 and the skirt 33 of the packing ring 15 into engagement with the casing and would also tend to move the lip 28 against the mandrel. The greater this downward pressure, the

more tightly would be the sealing engagement. Likewise, if there was an excessive upwardly directed pressure of fluid, some of the said fluid would tend to go into the chambers 29 and 30 and would move outwardly the skirt 34 of the packing ring [6 and the skirt 35 of the packing ring i6, pressing these two skirts tightly against the casing, and also pressing the lip 21 inwardly against the mandrel. The higher the pressure thus exerted, the greater would be the sealing effect. If the operator desires to open the ports 3!, he can do so by simply raising the tubing and mandrel into the position shown in Figure 3. The pressure ofthe well fluid on the upper portionof the upper packing !6 will cause the packing to remain in the position shown in Figure 3, but the ports 3! will be moved upwardly beyond the ring 2| so that well fluid could flow downwardly around the shoulder 5 and through the ports 3| into the mandrel and thence down the tubing,

Having now described our invention, we claim: 1. A- well packer adapted to be lowered on a well tubing into a well casing including a mandrel on said tubing, a fixed shoulder on said man-idrel, a movable shoulder movable relative to said mandrel, means to limit the movement of the movable shoulder away from the fixed shoulder, resilient packing surrounding said mandrel and being of such a length as to engage both shoulders when the packer is being lowered in the well tubing-means to move the movable shoulder ,towards the fixed shoulder to set said packing to seal the passageway between the tubing and casing, and means to prevent the cold flow of, said packing around one of said shoulders.

2. A well packer. adapted to be lowered on a well tubing into a-well casing including a mandrel on said tubing, a fixed shoulder on said mandrel, a movable shoulder movable relative to said mandrel, means to limit the movement of the movable shoulder away from the fixed shoulder, a resilient packing surrounding said mandrel and being of such alength as to engage both shoulders when the packer is being lowered in the well tubing, means to move the movable shoulder towards the fixed shoulder. to set said packingto seal the passageway between the tubing and casing, and springs embedded in the packing to prevent the cold flow of said packing around one of said shoulders.

3. A well packer adapted to be lowered on a well tubing into a well casing including a mandrel on said tubing, a fixed shoulder on said mandrel, a movable shoulder movable relative to said mandrel, means to limit the movement of the movable shoulder away from the fixed shoulder, resilient packing surrounding said mandrel and being of such a length as to engage both shoulders when the packer is being lowered in the well tubing, means to move the movable shoulder towards the fixed shoulder toset said packing to seal the passageway between the tubing and casing, and springs embedded in the packing and supported by one of said shoulders to prevent the cold flow of said packing around the shoulder supporting said springs.

4..A well packer adapted to be lowered on a well tubing into a well casing including a mandrel on said tubing, a fixed shoulder on said mandrel, a movable shoulder movable relative to said mandrel, means to limit the movement of the movable shoulder away from the fixed shoulder, resilient packing surrounding saidmandrel and being of such a length as to engage both shoulders when the packer is being lowered in the well tubing, means to move the movable shoulder towards the fixed shoulder to set said packing to seal the passageway between the tubing and casing, a ring slidably mounted on said mandrel immediately above said movable shoulder, said ring being embedded in the lower portion of the packing, eyes forming a part of said ring, and spring wires embedded in the packing and hinged in said eyes and supported by said movable shoulder and serving as a means to prevent the cold fiow of said packing downwardly between the movable shoulder and the casing.

5. A well packer adapted to be lowered on a well tubing into a well casing including a mandrel on said tubing, 9, fixed shoulder on said mandrel, a movable shoulder movable relative to said mandrel, means to limit the movement of th movable shoulder away from the fixed shoulder, resilient packing surrounding said mandrel and being of such a length as to engage both shoulders when the packer is being lowered in the well tubing, means to cause a relative movement between the fixed shoulder and the movable shoulder to set said packing to seal the passageway between the tubing and easing, a ring slidably mounted on said mandrel immediately below said fixed shoulder, said ring being embedded in the upper portion of the packing, eyes forming a part of said ring, and spring wires embedded in the packing and hinged in said eyes and supported by said fixed shoulder and serving as a means to prevent the cold-flow of said packing upwardly between the fixed shoulder and the casing.

6. A well packer adapted to be lowered on a well tubing into a well casing including a mandrel on said tubing, 9, fixed shoulder on said mandrel, a movable shoulder movable relative to said mandrel, means to limit the movement of the movable shoulder away from the fixed shoulder, resilient packing surrounding said mandrel and being of such a length as to engage both shoulders when the packer is being lowered in the well tubing, means to move the movable shoulder towards the fixed shoulder to set said packing to seal the passagewa between the tubing and casing, means to prevent the cold flow of said packing downwardly between the movable shoulder and the casing, and means to prevent the cold flow of said packing upwardly between the fixed shoulder and the casing.

7. A well packer adapted to be lowered on a well tubing into a well casing including a mandrel on said tubing, a fixed shoulder on said mandrel, a movable shoulder movable relative to said mandrel, means to limit the movement of the movable shoulder away from the fixed shoulder, resilient packing surrounding saidmandrel and being of such a length as to engage both shoulders when the packer is being lowered in the well tubing, means to move the movable shoulder towards the fixed shoulder to set said packing to seal the passageway between the tubing and casing, said packing being provided with an internal pocket and a lip projecting into said pocket and contacting said mandrel to prevent the passage of fluid between the mandrel and packing.

8. A well packer adapted to be lowered on a well tubing into a well casing including a mandrel on said tubing, a fixed shoulder on said mandrel, there being a drainage port through said mandrel below the fixed shoulder, a movable shoulder movable relative to said mandrel, means to limit the movement of the movable shoulder away from the fixed shoulder, a resilient packing surrounding said mandrel and being of such a length as to extend over said drainage port and to engage both shoulders when the packer is being lowered in the well tubing, means to move the movable shoulder towards the fixed shoulder to set said packer to seal the passageway between the tubing and easing, means to prevent the cold flow of said packing around one of said shoulders, said port being opened by raising said mandrel a definite extent after the packing is set, provided there is a sufficient weight of fluid above the packing to maintain the packing in set position.

RAYMOND G. TAYLOR, JR. DONALD B. HOOSER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS N'umber Name Date 2,084,611 Crickmer June 22, 1937 2,196,668 Ragan Apr. 9, 1940 2,133,462 McManis Oct. 18, 1938 2,189,697 Baker Feb. 6, 1940 2,184,634 Crickmer et al Dec. 26, 1939 2,143,746 Spang Jan. 10, 1939 1,912,805 Tilbury June 6, 1933 Re. 13,457 Hovis Aug. 13, 1912 

